FUTURE MODELS
With spring comes new electric leaf
The second-generation Nissan Leaf has debuted and an electric vehicle revolution appears to be coming, writes Tim Cohen
Six years ago when Nissan introduced its first-generation electrically-powered Leaf it was considered something of an intriguing novelty. It’s testament to how much and how fast the auto industry has changed that the second-generation Leaf that we saw revealed in Japan is now considered a potential core component of the brand. You need to pinch yourself to appreciate the extent of the change. The first-generation Leaf may be the best-selling electric car on the road, but little over 300,000 cars have been sold, less than a hundredth of Nissan’s total production. Yet at the reveal, Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa said that while the current Leaf was the electric vehicle (EV) pioneer, "the new Leaf has the potential to become the core of the company". The move to centrepiece encompasses a list of changes from design to new electronic gizmos to specification. Power is up in a big way — the 80kW motor has been increased to 110kW, and the original 24kWh lithium-ion battery is 40kWh. The bubble...
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